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Question of the week:When you have someone watch your baby what cloth diapers do you leave out? Leave your comment before Thursday, August 11th at 7pm EST. (You can only answer the "Question of the Week" ONCE PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY.)

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Good luck, and don't forget to tell all your family and friends about the giveaway! In case that you don't win, what a better person to win than a friend of yours!!

When I was new to cloth diapering I was overwhelmed with all the different styles and brands available. There were diapers with Velcro, snaps, velour, and even pockets. All of them were adorable, had different styles and fit, and they were all made with different materials. Some were waterproof with the very popular microfiber inserts, some were cotton or organic cotton, and much to my surprise some were even made with hemp. Growing up in a household that reused and recycled pretty much everything (as in, I got all my sister's hand-me-downs), my children were destined to have fluffy bums of some sort.

Apart from finding the right closure, style, and fit (which is mind boggling at the beginning, as we all know), I felt like I was also faced with another hard decision: natural or synthetic. For a big part of my life I strived to be green and "go organic", so my future children and grandchildren have a beautiful world to live in. And, of course cd's are WAY more eco-friendly than sposies, but I still conflicted with this and had to weigh my options.

The upfront cost of cloth can definitely put a dent in anyone's budget. So, the price of different diapers is something to take into consideration. There are lots of different diaper packages available that will reduce the cost of each diaper when you purchase a certain amount, so definitely use them to your benefit! You can save upwards of $1.50 per diaper when going this route. With all of this info stored in the back of my mind I compared organic diapers with others made from synthetic materials. I found that, when looking at the big picture, I really wouldn't be spending that much more if I chose to go with organics. For a dozen organic diapers I would be spending about $60 more compared to diapers made with synthetics. And, that's the high end, for organic diapers that are about $25 each. There are lots of other options that cost significantly less and are still made with natural and organic materials; you just have to look for them (yay "Search" button!). Some retailers, like Kelly's Closet, also offer a free diaper with purchases over a certain amount. Who doesn't like freebies? Another great way to get the stash you want without spending a ton of money is to ask for cloth diapers as gifts, or even buy them gently used.

In the end, the key to my organic stash was taking advantage of all the possibilities I just mentioned and the fact I would still be saving a ridiculous amount of money over disposables. I did also have to trade 2 nice dinner and a movie dates with my love, but all in all, it was definitely worth it!

Gina is a green living advocate, and mom of two boys (ages 2 & 3), who has cloth diapered exclusively for 3 years. A self-proclaimed tree hugger, she loves to share the benefits of all things natural and organic.

Way back in another lifetime...you know, before we had children...my husband and I used to enjoy all sorts of outdoorsy adventures. We loved hiking and backcountry camping especially! These days we are in the life stage where the baby won't sleep unless he is in a real bed (not even in the car!) and my pregnancy necessitates a minimum of 37 pillows in the bed to be comfortable. Add to that the fact that we now live in south Florida where the highest elevation you'll see is if you catch some air going over a train track too fast. So the backpacking days have been shelved temporarily, but one key concept from backpacking-culture has stuck with me: The Ten Essentials.

The Ten Essentials are a list of items that every hiker should have with him/herself at all times; basic things like food, water, flashlight, etc. The most minimal and "essential" equipment for wilderness survival and success.

Many of my friends are becoming first time mamas and want to know all about this "cloth diapering thing" that has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years. I find myself writing these humongously long emails back to them with all my enthusiastic advice, boiled down to 10,000 words or less. So I started thinking, "What are 'The Ten Essentials' of cloth diapering?" It seemed a much more simplistic way to go about initiating a newbie. So here (in my personal opinion) are the ten most basic things you need in order to have cloth diapering success! (not necessarily in order of importance)

1. Diapers! In order to cloth diaper your baby full time, you'll need a stash of enough diapers to get you through three days. For example, an older baby might go through six diapers a day, needing a minimum of 18 diapers total if you wash them every other day. The diapers fromdays 1 and 2 will be in the wash, while you're using the diapers for day 3. Once you know how many diapers your baby goes through on an average day (plus a few extras, just in case of emergency), you can decide how many diapers you'll need to have in your stash.

2. Wipes! Once you transition to cloth diapers, you'll find that it just makes a lot of sense to use cloth wipes. They go right into the wash with your diapers and are no extra work! Plus, you don't have to worry about rationing them out and using every scrap of clean space on thatone wipe to clean baby's bottom. You can use however many you want because it doesn't cost any extra money! There are other posts on this blog with more specifics about making, storing and washing cloth wipes. They're so easy!

3. Pail Liners! A reusable pail liner is what you put into your diaper pail to contain the mess until wash day, in lieu of a trash bag. You'll need two of these - one in the pail and one in the wash.

4. Wet Bag! When you are out and about, you'll need a "wet bag" in your diaper bag. This is a small to medium sized waterproof pouch where you put your dirty diapers until you get home.

5. Detergent! Unfortunately, you can't wash cloth diapers in the same detergent you may use for your other clothes. The residue will build up over time and cause the diapers to become unabsorbent and incredibly stinky! You'll need a clean-rinsing detergent, like Rockin' Green. Man, I love that stuff. I went through a lot of diaper-wash-related-headaches before I finally started using Rockin' Green. No more residual stink!

6. A Place to Wash! Mamas who live in apartments, or other situations where there are communal/public laundry machines, may find the idea of washing cloth diapers a little daunting. Never fear! You're not alone - many other mamas have had great success with cloth diapers, regardless of their laundry situation. There have been several other blog entries on this site from mamas who have overcome some pretty significant obstacles in order to wash their diapers. Read them and be encouraged - you can do this!

7. A Place to Dry! Many cloth diapering mamas prefer drying diapers outside to save money, save wear and tear on the fabrics and get the disinfecting benefits of sunshine. Again, you might have obstacles (i.e. lack of a yard) but there are many creative ways to use a collapsable rack or even just a line strung up along a balcony railing. Most cloth diapers can also be dried in a dryer, if line drying won't work for your situation.

8. Rash Solutions! How many tubes of butt paste and other rash creams did we all receive at our baby showers? And yet, these are like "the white death" for your cloth diapers! The same thing that makes them seal your baby's skin against moisture will seal your diapers against moisture, which means a massive operations failure! Many cloth diapering mamas have found that their babies get rashes much less often after switching to cloth, however it still happens to the best of us from time to time. There are several rash creams that are specially formulated for use with cloth diapers, such as Grandma El's and CJ's Butter. And there is always also (my personal favorite) tea tree oil that works wonders on a baby's bum!

9. Need Fasteners? Many of us now use diapers with built-in fasteners - snaps, hook and loop, etc. However, if you plan on going a more economical route, using prefolds or flat diapers, you'll need to decide what sort of fastener you prefer. Basic pins? Snappis? Just trifolded under a cover that fastens itself? The nice thing is that these are all pretty cheap, so it's easy to experiment with a few different kinds.

10. Diaper Change Central! No matter what kind of surface you decide to change your baby upon, you'll need some sort of set-up with all your tools close by. So what does a cloth diaper changing set-up consist of? There are lots of different things you can experiment with, but as long as you have a sturdy, safe surface, diapers, wipes, pail, and possibly rashfixing-stuff, you'll be all set! It's really not any more complicated than a disposable diaper set-up.

Good luck getting started on your cloth diapering journey! If other veteran moms can think of different items that are essential to their cloth diapering routine, feel free to add them in the comments below!

Long answer: For the last year, our daughter has been the only one in her daycare's infant class in cloth, and some days go better than others. Some of the staff and college-age volunteers have commented that they like them a lot, so I guess that's something!

1: Keep it SIMPLE!Our first experience with cloth was Kissaluvs size 0 fitteds which worked great for the newborn/infant period, but I knew that I wanted to use pocket diapers when we got into larger sizes, without a separate cover to fasten. Daycare started shortly after that.

We began with BumGenius pockets. The 3.0's were the latest and greatest at the time—still going strong in our "home" stash. We didn't ask the staff to unstuff the used pockets, but I realized quickly that I did not enjoy doing that 10 hours later when they were wet, dirty, cold and clammy. Ew. I even tried skipping that step one time… let's just say that was not a success.

So began my search for what I would consider daycare (or babysitter or out-and-about) diapers. Still easy to use, without requiring extra steps for them or grossness for me. Over the last year, I have built an out-of-the-house stash that includes:

2. Send enough of everything, ready to go. My girl is a pretty heavy wetter, so I tend to double stuff or use a stay-dry doubler, depending on the diaper.

On average, she'll go through 5-6 changes while she's there, enough to fill a medium PlanetWise wetbag. We send 6-7 diapers in on a daily basis.

We send cloth wipes soaked in a solution of BabyBits, folded to dispense from a regular sized disposable wipes dispenser. That usually lasts a week. I've written hints for cloth diapers written on the outside of the container, too.

We have Grandma El's cream there, as well as some wipes to use as a liner if the need arises. They're pretty quick to use diaper cream in large quantities, and even though Grandma El's is CD approved, I like having that extra layer to keep my dipes absorbent.

3. Send the biggest wetbag you can. We just got some of the large PlanetWise bags, and I love them. Their handle means they can hang on their own and it's obvious if a wet diaper or wipe isn't in all the way. It's never completely full at the end of the day. And I can hang the bag from the stroller when we hike to the parking lot.

4. Do the laundry early in the evening.Gotta get that drying cycle started as early as possible. We wash every other night. We line dry the wet bags, all in ones, and covers. The inserts, doublers, and wipes go in the dryer. In the morning, the Smartpants and the Grovia covers are ready to be stuffed or snapped and go back to school, the all in ones and the wetbags take an extra day to dry fully.

When we get home with the full wetbag on a non-laundry day, I get rid of solid poop and transfer the dirty diapers into the pail at home. A mother's day present of a diaper sprayer makes things so much easier!

5. Provide helpful mini-lessons to new staff, and address issues quickly but nicely. Some pitfalls that we have encountered that require periodic reminders:-Staydry doublers sometimes cause confusion and get put on with the microfiber facing baby, a no-no.-All these diapers are snap closure, 2 or more snaps per side. Although this shouldn't be any trickier than Velcro or the disposable tabs for the rest of the kids they change, sometimes only one snap gets used and we end up with wicked wing droop.

6. Keep a cheerful attitude. I'll admit, there are days where I'm cursing the wet wetbags, the diapers falling off my baby, and the late laundry cycles. But overall, we have a routine that works and allows us to work without worry... too much... :)

Tara Massini is mom to a beautiful 16 month old girl who likes shoes, tickling, dogs, and bubbles. She and her husband work at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL, and are lucky enough to have the daycare right there.

If you were to ask me 2 years ago if I were planning on using cloth diapers with my son, I would have said…No. However, when our first and only son was 22 months old I decided that it was something I was very interested in pursing. My interest began when we were planning on a family vacation to the beach and swim diapers came to mind. What was a frugal alternative to Little Swimmers? What could our son wear that I wouldn't have to spend so much money on to throw in the trash? And in research, I decided to try a cloth swim diaper.

After reading a friends blog, I found she was cloth diapering and selling homemade products at a local store I did not know existed. The store provides amazing natural alternatives to baby products, some manufactured by local individuals and companies. I just HAD to go there to visit and get advice. I knew that once I saw cloth diapers in person, and had a professional explain the products, I would commit fully or resist. Well, before I made the trip I had to discuss this financially with my husband. When I brought up the concept of cloth diapering, he resisted 100%. He stated that we sacrificed in so many ways to save money and that this was not of interest to him. So, I further explained the swim diaper to him and he was much more open to try a cloth swim diaper than using them for all day, every day use. I did tell him I wanted to buy a few for our up coming vacation to try for myself, he apprehensively agreed to that.

Prior to my trip to the store,my research lead me to one size pocket diapers. They seemed most economical for our family. They sold a small variety of bumGenius, Flip, Econobum, and a few other items. Their major sellers were BG and Flip. I settled on 1 BG pocket, and a day pack of the Flip Stay-Dry System. I also purchased a Bummis Swimmi Diaper. I was so excited to have that soft fluff in my hands and be able to try this new world out. I went home and immediately began to prep the diapers. When they were all prepped and ready to apply to my little one's bum, I was more excited than Christmas morning. He looked so adorable with his colored bottom and soft little tush! However, I always joke about how he needs to grow a booty, and this was the answer. Fluff gave him the bottom he has always needed.

In the month we have been cloth diapering, I have convinced my husband it is a great thing and can be economical with moderation. Our diaper stash has expanded to include more pockets, which are used for nighttime, Flip covers and many inserts, a few prefolds, Hemp Babies (which are amazing), and the newest addition…the Knickernappies diaper sprayer (best thought of invention since sliced bread). My husband is on board now and excited with the prospect that we are purchasing more diapers for an additional child in the future. He has wanted another baby for a while and this is a way to convince him that his dreams are in the closer future than originally thought. Our family is new to cloth diapering and we love it!

My name is Tabby and I am a wife and mother to my almost 2 year old son, Jackson. New to cloth diapering but loving every minute!

It's 3:30 am. I'm still up. Both babies have fallen back asleep - I have 5 month old twins - and I'm good to go for at least a few hours. Hopefully. Anyways, I should be happily scampering off to bed but instead I'm sitting on the floor in the nursery with my nose buried in my Iphone scouring the internet for anything cloth-diaper-related (most recently, it was another search for storing dirty diapers, and after days of reflection, I've decided on the hanging wet/dry bag...I've GOT to do something with that horrendous odor).

What is it about cloth diapers??? I never, ever thought I would be one to 1) use them, 2) adore them, 3) eventually become so obsessed that I lose sleep...even, would CHOOSE to stay up in order to check out the latest deals, colors, and styles.

When I'd first considered cloth diapering it really was a result of numerous friends' who cloth diaper, and particularly one close friend who lived nearby. I had a glimpse into her own process when she had her first little one. After I became pregnant with the twins, I casually mentioned it to various family members who all responded with comments like, "That's disgusting, don't do it," or "HA! We'll see how long you will last!" I admit that it was really daunting in the beginning - there are so many philosophies, options, and systems. And trying to figure out how to wash them??? But, my husband and I discussed it (although he likes to remember that I was the one that did more of the discussing...and deciding) and we took the plunge. We committed to it for numerous, really important reasons like preserving the environment - so the babies have beautiful places to hike around when they're older - and being economical in the long run, but really deep down inside, I love how cute they are both on and off the babies, and besides, anything that makes dealing with poo and pee easier on a regular basis is always ideal to me.

So, I think after about...five months, I finally kind of get it. When we first started we namely used Lil Joeys, and they were simple and straightforward (although they took an eternity to dry after each wash). The cloth diapers we use the most now: For the girl-baby - Kissaluvs and Thirstie covers (she's a skinny mini so she's still in size 0s and small ones for the covers. But I just ordered the next size up and am DYING to use them) and for the boy-baby - Fuzzibunz and BumGenius one size pocket diapers, both snaps and velcro (the girl-baby uses the BumGenius, too). I based my decision mostly on the recommendation of friends who I feel have similar tastes and personalities to me, and it has worked out fine. In retrospect (and it is something I advise to other moms who exploring the cloth diaper lifestyle), I wish I had done some of the trial packages or just bought a few of various kinds just to give them a shot. Needless to say, there are always pros and cons for every cloth diapering system, like for me the Kissaluvs are easy to use with the covers, but girl-baby is a bit of a diva and doesn't like to sit in a wet diaper for very long at all. The Fuzzibunz are soft and absorbent, and clean really well but the adjustments and snaps don't always make for a perfect fit, which is why I haven't used them on the girl-baby yet. The bumGenius diapers wick away the moisture well (great for the girl-baby) but I find more leaks with them especially if I don't put enough inserts. All in all though, I am profoundly happy with the decision to cloth diaper, and each system suits me in their own way (and my husband, which is very key).

And so, to end, before I become too verbose, an ode, for what better way is there to express love than through poetry?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

I love thee for the colors from sweet designs to sky blue,I love thee for the endeavor - though not always perfect - you contain pee and poo.

I love thee for the conscientious part you have in saving the earth,I love thee for the option we have to use you even from birth.

I love thee for the ease of the wash - and make it almost fun,I love thee for the wonderful miracle of stains taken away by the sun!

I love thee for...Well, I'm just being redundant now, I think that's about as good as it's going to get with the strain on my mom-brain. I love them. So much so that I really think everyone should do it. And, even though it is more accessible to a certain economic group there is a great organization called Heiny Helpers that is trying to make it available no matter what the income level through your donations - so a little plug here at the very end in the hope of diversifying its use by all kinds of people so that everyone can fall in love with them, too.

Bio: Mihee is a recent stay-at-home-mom with boy/girl five month old twins. She is interested in the outdoors, writing, faith and spirituality, and most of all learning about parenthood (which she does at her blog www.miheekimkort.com).